First Congregational Church of Franklin Partners with the Franklin Public Library to Preserve Historic Town Records

The First Congregational Church of Franklin, in partnership with the Franklin Public Library, is proud to announce the successful completion of a year-long project to organize and preserve a remarkable collection of 18th and 19th century records that document the early civic and spiritual life of the Town of Franklin.

Spearheaded by Vicki Earls, Reference Librarian at the Franklin Public Library, and Christine Brown, longtime church member, the project brought together historical expertise and community dedication to ensure that these fragile and invaluable documents are protected for future generations. These records, originating from the time when the church functioned as the de facto seat of government in colonial Massachusetts, are not only essential to the church’s history, but also serve as critical town archives from Franklin’s earliest days.

Lyn and Vicki library archive room April 2025

“This effort was a true collaboration rooted in a shared respect for our town’s deep history,” said Brown. “It was an honor to help care for these documents, which tell the story of both our congregation and our community.”

As part of the preservation effort, the historic records have been carefully relocated to the Franklin Public Library’s secure, environmentally controlled archive room. This facility will ensure the long-term safety of the documents, protecting them from temperature fluctuations, humidity, and other environmental factors that contribute to deterioration.

The project would not have been possible without the enthusiastic support of Felicia Oti, Library Director, who generously enabled Earls to dedicate time and expertise to the work. The church also extends special thanks to Lyn Pickhover, Church Historian, whose years of careful custodianship laid the foundation for this preservation initiative.

Together, the team carefully reviewed, organized, and rehoused the documents to prevent further degradation and to make them more accessible for future research.

“This project reflects the spirit of Franklin,” said Earls. “It’s about honoring our past, working together across institutions, and ensuring that the stories of those who came before us are not lost.”

Plans are in place to continue preserving and digitizing the collection to allow for broader public access and educational use.  

Digitized records currently available can be found on the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/@first_congregational_church_of_franklin

For more information about the project or the records, please contact Vicki Earls at Franklin Public Library.

Community Preservation Committee to view digitized output before funding project (video)

The Community Preservation Committee met on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 as scheduled. One item was on the agenda.

Alan Earls, Historical Commission Chair, provided an update on the funding being looked for by the Rod & Gun Club to digitize some films from the 1940's & 1950's. The Club may have already done so but any funding would help them cover the costs (approx. $3,000).

Committee expressed desire to see a sample of the output before committing to fund. Details were being arranged to do so.

Franklin TV YouTube Video - https://www.youtube.com/live/hjuY_fIXDws?si=YQAokjQjCvHwZ-rl&t=104

Agenda:

1. Film Preservation & Digitization Project - the CPC will consider a request for funding for preservation of old film from the Rod & Gun Club.

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/uploads/film_preservation_digitization_project_redacted.pdf

2. Adjourn

The agenda doc https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/_2024-08-20_cpc_agenda.pdf

Community Preservation Committee to view digitized output before funding project (video)

Vaccine 'passports' (really 'certificates') will be difficult but are in development

"The Biden administration and private companies are working to develop a standard way of handling credentials - often referred to as “vaccine passports” - that would allow Americans to prove they have been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus as businesses try to reopen.

The effort has gained momentum amid President Joe Biden's pledge that the nation will start to regain normalcy this summer and with a growing number of companies - from cruise lines to sports teams - saying they will require proof of vaccination before opening their doors again.

The administration's initiative has been driven largely by arms of the Department of Health and Human Services, including an office devoted to health information technology, said five officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the effort. The White House this month took on a bigger role coordinating government agencies involved in the work, led by coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients, with a goal of announcing updates in coming days, said one official.

.... 

U.S. officials say they are grappling with an array of challenges, including data privacy and health-care equity. They want to make sure all Americans will be able to get credentials that prove they have been vaccinated, but also want to set up systems that are not easily hacked or passports that cannot be counterfeited, given that forgeries are already starting to appear."

Continue reading the article online at the Boston Globe (subscription may be required) 

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/03/28/nation/vaccine-passports-are-way-developing-them-wont-be-easy/

Or where it originated with the Washington Post (subscription may be required):  

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/03/28/vaccine-passports-for-work/

MA State Library: old Boston photos found and digitized

MA State Library (@mastatelibrary) tweeted on Mon, Mar 22, 2021:

During a major cataloging project at the State Library, the staff rediscovered many beautiful collections, including an album of photographs of old Boston, which was digitized and we invite you to view here:  https://t.co/xhrDKv4xKN   or https://www.flickr.com/photos/mastatelibrary/albums/72157709811009401

 

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/mastatelibrary/status/1373998270620520453

MA State Library: old Boston photos found and digitized